The very first Crossway CNG FlixBus, fuelled with biogas, started an international route between Amsterdam and Brussels. By choosing the Crossway CNG, FlixBus will benefit from the skills and the expertise of a pioneer manufacturer, leader in the field of Natural Gas-powered buses and coaches.
The model chosen by FlixBus operator is 13 meters long. With a total capacity of 1,260 litres (four 315-litre tanks), the vehicle has a range of minimum 600 km in long-distance missions. It’s equipped with the latest-generation IVECO CURSOR 9 CNG engine which delivers 360 hp or 265 kW. The Crossway CNG is especially environmentally-friendly as it can run on biogas.
The coach assigned to the FlixBus biogas mission is joining the fleet of Belgium transporter Coach Partner. The operation is scheduled to cover daily and twice per day the round trip Brussels – Amsterdam – Brussels of 415 km each, and over a three-year period.
Environment and public health respect
The Crossway CNG is fully compatible with energy transition projects. It offers high performance in terms of pollutant and sound emissions reduction. With natural gas, fine particle emissions levels are reduced to nearly zero, and nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced by more than one third. The noise level is also reduced by half, offering exceptional operating silence for the driver and passengers. Natural gas vehicles are therefore the only proven, affordable fossil-fuel-free solution equipped to meet today’s and tomorrow’s mobility challenges.
The Crossway CNG also helps preserving natural resources, as it is 100% compatible with biomethane, produced from organic waste. OrangeGas, supplier of the biomethane for the Flixbus operation, is partnering with Amsterdam municipality which is producing biogas from municipal sewage sludge. The biogas is purified to reach quality to be injected in the Dutch gas grid. The Crossway CNG fuelled with biogas allows to reduce significantly CO2-emissions. Atmosfair, the climate-NGO Flix partner for climate strategy and CO2 off-setting, indicates that the CO2reduction thanks to biomethane is of 75% compared to diesel operations on the routes.
Methanising municipal biowaste is a solid example of circular economy of how wise waste management can turn into local low carbon energy for transport, fully aligned to the requirement of European Green Deal, and in a very affordable and efficient way. Numerous studies show evidence of the benefits of biomethane for transport: attractive Life Cycle Analysis, contribution to reduction of CO2, TCO near-parity to Diesel and maturity and scalability. IVECO BUS is leader in gas mobility in Europe, with ca. 1.000 CNG buses sold in 2020, for citybus, coach and minibus.
